Axel Braun is the son of legendary porn-pioneer Lasse Braun, who, through his work in the early 60's helped the legalization of pornography in Europe, Axel was born and raised in Italy, where he received a privileged upper-class upbringing, studying the Classics and learning five languages. An accomplished drawing artist, as a child he dreamt of becoming a cartoonist, then at the age of seven he watches the movie The Four Feathers by Zoltan Korda. The epic tale of love, betrayal, honor and revenge moved him so much that he suddenly knows what he wants to be when he grows up: a film director.
A proud member of MENSA, an avid movie buff, and the bearer of a Ph.D. in Psychology, Axel started early on traveling and working with his father as an assistant director, writer, producer, videographer and editor. Lasse introduces him to the world of Adult Filmmaking, and teaches him all the tricks of the trade. Over the course of the years they develop a strong personal relationship as well as an incredibly creative business partnership. LasseâÂÂs flair for luxury and comfort suits his young pupil well, as Axel still finds plenty of time to indulge in his non-porn passions: Poker and car racing.
1982: At the Sorbonne Library in Paris, Axel read a book on human sexuality that talks about the G-Spot and the capabilities of certain women to ejaculate. This will lead him to years of research, and ultimately to the production of countless x-rated movies featuring female ejaculation.
1988: Axel moved permanently to Los Angeles to attend the prestigious Columbia College, where he will eventually graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema.
1989-1995: Axel and Lasse develop and produce a series of R-rated TV movies for German Television RTL, while still shooting hard-core. Fantasy Nights, in 1990, marks the first collaborations of three of the most influential pornographers in history: Lasse Braun, Alex DeRenzy, and Henri Pachard. With the excuse of filming the series Ibiza Lust, in 1991, Axel and Lasse spend a few months in the beautiful Balearic island.
1995: Lasse and Axel travel to Budapest to shoot MasterSex, produced by Italian Porn-tycoon Joano Ceretti. Through Joano, with whom Axel forms a strong friendship, he lands a deal to translate and adapt a series of big-budget American movies in Italian. It's a moment of transition and growth, and it provides a chance for reflection. LasseâÂÂs controlling and demanding personality starts to be suffocating, and Axel needs time to find his own path.
1996: Produced by Joano Ceretti, Axel steps behind the camera to direct his first solo project, The Adventures of the G-Man, the first installment of a successful series that would earn him both critical and commercial praise in Italy, along with an incredible notoriety for being able to make all women ejaculate with his hands.
1997: In January, Lasse calls him to co-write and shoot Uncontrollable Lust, for VCA. This will be the final father-son collaboration. Later that year Antonio Passolini, an accomplished director and longtime friend, gives Axel his first break in the American XXX-market, executive-producing the feature The Book of Lust, released by VCA.
1998: VCA releases Axel's new feature Sexcape, shot between Los Angeles, Florence, Rome, Milan and Budapest.
1999: Axel releases Fleshlight, a hard-core comedy that tops the charts in Germany, as well as Libido and most notably The G-Spot Chronicles which ends up being the top-selling adult video of the year in Italy.
Straight & Fetish Movies
